Beyond the joy of having a playful, loving and clownish pet dog, one must not forget the financial issues that come with owning a pet Pug. Having one can be a major financial proposition for most of us.

Cost Consideration for Starters

If you are planning to buy a purebred Pug, then you must prepare a budget of at least $250 for a Pug pup. However, if you are looking for a well-bred Pug pup which can be a good candidate as show champion, then you need to prepare a budget range of $1,500 to $2,000. The price of your Pug pup is dependent on several variables. These include the pedigree quality, results of health tests on the parents and the area of the country.

Pugs normally produce small litters, and there may be instances that breeders will have to elect for C-section. This easily translates to escalation in the price of Pug pups. However, paying premium does not necessarily mean that you get one once your Pug pup grows up. The Pug puppy that was listed in the newspaper ad may turn out to be an extremely adorable pet Pug. Similarly, a Pug puppy who was supposed to become a show champion may not live that long. All these critical issues highlight one important point – buying pups at 12 weeks old is generally a hit-and-miss proposition.

If you are looking for a more practical option, then you may consider owning an adult Pug. There are several ways by which you can own one. You can contact dog breeders who are looking for potential homes for their adult Pugs who are up for retirement as show dogs or from breeding. You can get one either for free or for a nominal fee to cover cost of spaying. You can also opt to adopt an old Pup, and this will normally cost you $200 – 300. There are rescues and shelter homes that offer for adoption dogs by charging a nominal fee to defray the cost of sheltering and other related items.

Expenses during the Main Act

You have to remember that the expenses during the initial phase of owning a Pug can be likened to a teaser before the main act. Once you get into the meat of the action, it is where things become more exciting and challenging. This is where the real expenses start rolling in. As a starter, your pet Pug will require a lot of things. These include all the basic items such as dog food, toys, leashes, collar, vet care, pet carrier, etc.

As far as the diet of your pet Pug is concerned, you will have to continue the existing program started by the breeder. It is important that you get your pet Pug “acclimatized” to his new environment before you make any changes in his diet. Once your pet Pug is ready to take on the changes in his diet, it is essential that you wean them gradually from their current meal over to the new diet. This process of shifting diet normally takes a week or 2 weeks at the most to complete.

Good dog foods don’t come cheap. On the average, you will have to shell out a quarter for every pound of premium dog food, and if you are going for canned dog foods, then it becomes more expensive. You must not settle for cheaper brands as it may negatively impact on the overall health and well-being of your pet Pug. The good news about having a pet Pug instead of the larger breeds of dog is that you will feed them a lot lesser than their larger cousins, and this means lesser expense on your pet Pug’s diet.

These important issues that we have so far covered in this article show that we have to look beyond the purchase cost when assessing the financial aspect of owning a pet Pug or any dog breed for that matter. Having one entails lifetime commitment not only in terms of your time but your financial resources as well. Make sure that you are financially ready to own a pet Pug before you buy one.

Author Bio: Bruno is a happy mops owner and contributor at the Norwegian dog community Hundefeber.no. He owns several dogs and beyond them a lovely Mops and is participating in the Mops Forum on weekly basis.

Category: Pets
Keywords: Pets,Animals,dog,dogs,dog care,advice,pug,pug dog,pug dog care